The era of Information War requires senior planners to evaluate complex military, political and social situations. It requires novel approaches to modeling conflict. New tools must enable comparison and and contrast of the appropriateness and effectiveness of diverse actual and potential operational and strategic plans.

CYBERWAR XXI is an operational-strategic level simulation system which enables depiction of potential near-future conflicts. These include Low to Mid-Intensity Conflict and/or Operations Other Than War (OOTW). While the first scenario depicts the Iraq War, future topics are planned, including a depiction of potential China situations (including Taiwan, South China Sea, and Japan) and the Caspian Sea region.

This unique and innovative simulation tool is designed to assist senior planners to think in integrated terms of Information Warfare, Systems Warfare, and Battlespace Warfare. CYBERWAR XXI demonstrates how one can "win the military battles" but still lose the political conflict and the war — and vice versa. CYBERWAR XXI demonstrates the importance of unexpected "cascading effects" and how they must be a consideration when planning a successful operation.

In doing so,CYBERWAR XXI takes a leap ahead of other contemporary simulations and allows the recreation of complex campaigns such as the recent Iraq Wars.

Hexagon Interactive's lead designer Joseph Miranda's novel design for CYBERWAR XXI redefines "weapons system" to include unconventional and unorthodox "weapons" required in asymmetric and OOTW situations. It takes into account that certain developments have become key in planning near-future warfare:

Information warfare / CyberWarfare is taking on an increasingly critical function. As the world becomes united in a global network of information, "seizing the means of information" will become a strategic objective (much as, during the wars of the industrial era, mobilizing industrial production was a key to victory).

The "systems" that make up modern society (production, command-control, energy generation, etc.) are increasingly interrelated, and by attacking key systems one may bring about the collapse of an enemy state or force.

The "Revolution in Military Affairs," created by the rise of new weapons technology and doctrine, will change the way operations and battles are conducted. New weapons systems will have a radical impact on strategy, tactics and operations.

The effects of any type of operation will be amplified by interrelated economic, media, and other links, creating "cascading effects" that may have positive and/or negative impacts on one’s goals.

Many independent actors will be participating in modern conflict, including states, insurgents, transnational corporations and non-governmental organizations.

Modern operations are executed in action-reaction cycles, and the ability to generate the proper actions faster than the opponent can react to them will be a decisive element.

Finally, and often overlooked, is the realm of human decision-making and actions which generate chaotic factors into any conflict.

CYBERWAR XXI runs on commonly available Windows PC's with modest system requirements.

SCREENSHOTS

INFORMATION SPACE

Hierarchical structures and information superiority or dominance are displayed here.